Transgenic plants with altered redox mechanisms and increased yield

Abstract

Polynucleotides are disclosed which are capable of enhancing yield of a plant transformed to contain such polynucleotides. Also provided are methods of using such polynucleotides, and transgenic plants and agricultural products, including seeds, containing such polynucleotides as transgenes.

1 - 3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . A transgenic plant transformed with an expression cassette comprising, in operative association,
 a) an isolated polynucleotide encoding a promoter; and   b) an isolated polynucleotide encoding a full-length hydrogenase-2 accessory protein polypeptide comprising amino acids 1 to 79 of SEQ ID NO: 16 or amino acids 1 to 82 of SEQ ID NO:16, wherein the transgenic plant demonstrates increased yield as compared to a wild type plant of the same variety which does not comprise the expression cassette.   
     
     
         5 . A seed which is true-breeding for a transgene comprising, in operative association,
 a) an isolated polynucleotide encoding a promoter; and   b) an isolated polynucleotide encoding a full-length hydrogenase-2 accessory protein polypeptide comprising amino acids 1 to 79 of SEQ ID NO:16 or amino acids 1 to 82 of SEQ ID NO: 16, wherein a transgenic plant grown from said seed demonstrates increased yield as compared to a wild type plant of the same variety which does not comprise the transgene.   
     
     
         6 . A method for increasing yield of a plant, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) transforming a plant cell with an expression cassette comprising, in operative association,
 i) an isolated polynucleotide encoding a promoter; and 
 ii) an isolated polynucleotide encoding a full-length hydrogenase-2 accessory protein polypeptide comprising amino acids 1 to 79 of SEQ ID NO:16 or amino acids 1 to 82 of SEQ ID NO: 16; 
   b) regenerating transgenic plants from the transformed plant cell; and   c) selecting transgenic plants which demonstrate increased yield as compared to a wild type plant of the same variety which does not comprise the expression cassette.   
     
     
         7 . A transgenic plant transformed with an expression cassette comprising, in operative association,
 a) an isolated polynucleotide encoding a promoter; and   b) an isolated polynucleotide encoding a full-length gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase polypeptide comprising amino acids 21 to 511 of SEQ ID NO: 46,   
       wherein the transgenic plant demonstrates increased yield as compared to a wild type plant of the same variety which does not comprise the expression cassette. 
     
     
         8 . The transgenic plant of  claim 7 , wherein the expression cassette further comprises an isolated polynucleotide encoding a chloroplast transit peptide. 
     
     
         9 . A seed which is true-breeding for a transgene comprising, in operative association,
 a) an isolated polynucleotide encoding a promoter; and   b) an isolated polynucleotide encoding a full-length gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase polypeptide comprising amino acids 21 to 511 of SEQ ID NO: 46,   
       wherein a transgenic plant grown from said seed demonstrates increased yield as compared to a wild type plant of the same variety which does not comprise the transgene. 
     
     
         10 . The seed of  claim 9 , wherein the expression cassette further comprises an isolated polynucleotide encoding a chloroplast transit peptide. 
     
     
         11 . A method for increasing yield of a plant, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) transforming a plant cell with an expression cassette comprising, in operative association,
 i) an isolated polynucleotide encoding a promoter; and 
 ii) an isolated polynucleotide encoding a full-length gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase polypeptide comprising amino acids 21 to 511 of SEQ ID NO: 46; 
   b) regenerating transgenic plants from the transformed plant cell; and   c) selecting transgenic plants which demonstrate increased yield as compared to a wild type plant of the same variety which does not comprise the expression cassette.   
     
     
         12 . A transgenic plant transformed with an expression cassette comprising, in operative association,
 a) an isolated polynucleotide encoding a promoter;   b) an isolated polynucleotide encoding a mitochondrial transit peptide; and   c) an isolated polynucleotide encoding a full-length ATP synthase subunit B′ polypeptide comprising an ATP-synt_B signature selected from the group consisting of amino acids 7 to 138 of SEQ ID NO: 48 and amino acids 82 to 213 of SEQ ID NO: 50, wherein the transgenic plant demonstrates increased yield as compared to a wild type plant of the same variety which does not comprise the expression cassette.   
     
     
         13 . A seed which is true-breeding for a transgene comprising, in operative association,
 a) an isolated polynucleotide encoding a promoter;   b) an isolated polynucleotide encoding a mitochondrial transit peptide; and   c) an isolated polynucleotide encoding a full-length ATP synthase subunit B′ polypeptide comprising an ATP-synt_B signature selected from the group consisting of amino acids 7 to 138 of SEQ ID NO: 48 and amino acids 82 to 213 of SEQ ID NO: 50, wherein a transgenic plant grown from said seed demonstrates increased yield as compared to a wild type plant of the same variety which does not comprise the transgene.   
     
     
         14 . A method for increasing yield of a plant, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) transforming a plant cell with an expression cassette comprising, in operative association,
 i) an isolated polynucleotide encoding a promoter; 
 ii) an isolated polynucleotide encoding a mitochondrial transit peptide; 
   and
 iii) an isolated polynucleotide encoding a full-length ATP synthase subunit B′ polypeptide comprising an ATP-synt_B signature selected from the group consisting of amino acids 7 to 138 of SEQ ID NO: 48 and amino acids 82 to 213 of SEQ ID NO: 50; 
   b) regenerating transgenic plants from the transformed plant cell; and   c) selecting transgenic plants which demonstrate increased yield as compared to a wild type plant of the same variety which does not comprise the expression cassette.   
     
     
         15 . An isolated polynucleotide selected from the group consisting of:
 a) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 6, SEQ ID NO: 8; SEQ ID NO: 12, SEQ ID NO: 14, SEQ ID NO: 22, SEQ ID NO: 24, SEQ ID NO: 26, SEQ ID NO: 28, SEQ ID NO: 30, SEQ ID NO: 32, SEQ ID NO: 34, SEQ ID NO: 36, SEQ ID NO: 38, SEQ ID NO: 40, SEQ ID NO: 42, SEQ ID NO: 44, SEQ ID NO: 50, and SEQ ID NO: 54; and   b) a polynucleotide having a sequence selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 7, SEQ ID NO: 11, SEQ ID NO: 13, SEQ ID NO: 21, SEQ ID NO: 23, SEQ ID NO: 25, SEQ ID NO: 27, SEQ ID NO: 29, SEQ ID NO: 31, SEQ ID NO: 33, SEQ ID NO: 35, SEQ ID NO: 37, SEQ ID NO: 39, SEQ ID NO: 41, SEQ ID NO: 43. SEQ ID NO: 49, and SEQ ID NO: 53